Chancellor Gordon Gee turned down an offer to return to Ohio State University as president, sources told The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch.The
Dispatch reported that sources said Ohio State trustees thought they had convinced Gee to return. They had planned to announce the news Tuesday, but Gee said no, despite a reported compensation package of nearly $1 million.
Joseph Alutto, dean of Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business and interim university president, told The Dispatch that his goal is to "move the university forward" and to "aggressively pursue the academic plan."
Gee led Ohio State from 1990 through 1997, and might not be out of the picture for the presidency, The Dispatch reported.
However, Vanderbilt spokesperson Mike Schoenfeld denied that Gee is in negations with Ohio State, and told The Dispatch that Gee “is not, nor has he ever been, a candidate for Ohio State or any other presidency."
Vanderbilt board of trust chairman Martha Ingram said she is not surprised by offers from other schools, but she does not anticipate Gee will leave the university any time soon. "I expect Chancellor Gee will be at Vanderbilt for a long, long time. He is doing a terrific job,” she said in a statement.
Gee issued a statement, in which he said, “My commitment to Vanderbilt is unwavering and unshakable. … I am honored to serve as Vanderbilt's chancellor and plan to do so for a long time to come."
To read the full article in The Dispatch, click .
For more, please see The Tennessean's article , as well as a report from the Associated Press via Newschannel 5 .
